This three bean salad made with simple ingredients is a picnic classic! Just stir together three types of beans, crunchy vegetables, fresh parsley, and a tangy apple cider vinegar dressing. It’s refreshing, easy, and goes so well with other picnic salads like potato salad, coleslaw, and pasta salad.
I developed this recipe as a more traditional three-bean salad recipe because I enjoy the textural combination of green beans, garbanzo beans, and dark red kidney beans. The resulting salad ends up with a fresh, crisp-tender bite from the green beans contrasted by the creamy garbanzo and kidney beans. But you can really use whatever beans you like! Raid your pantry for any cans of beans lurking at the back of the shelves! White beans, pinto beans, and lima beans (also known as butter beans) all work very well. You can also make other variations, adding a Mexican-inspired or Mediterranean-style twist! I designed this recipe to be very adaptable, and I share all the details below.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
These are the main components you’ll need to make a classic three bean salad. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.
Three beans — for the “three bean” part of the salad, you need green beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans).
Crunchy veggies — sliced celery and chopped red onion add a welcome crunch to complement the creamy beans. Feel free to use chopped cucumber or green pepper instead of the celery if desired.
Dressing — for the bright, tangy dressing, you need a simple mixture of apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, and olive oil.
Can I Use Frozen Beans?
Yes, you can use frozen beans. Cook any frozen beans, from frozen, in Step 1 as directed. If you plan on using other beans like lima beans and cannellini beans, you can use them from frozen as well.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
I love the color and firmer texture of fresh green beans, but you can use canned green beans instead. For this classic three-bean salad, use one 15-ounce (425-gram) can of green beans or yellow wax beans. You won’t need to blanch them; just give them a good rinse and drain them well before stirring them together with the other beans.
Drain canned beans well. To prevent a watery salad, allow the canned kidney beans and chickpeas enough time to drain after rinsing to remove as much liquid as possible.
To boost the flavor of the dressing, add up to 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 2 finely minced or grated garlic cloves, and/or a squeeze of lemon juice.
If you like a sweeter salad dressing, add additional sugar, honey, or maple syrup to taste.
How To Make Three Bean Salad
1. Cook the fresh beans until crisp-tender. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and let them dry.
2. To a large bowl, add the cooked green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, celery, and red onion. Set aside for now.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil to emulsify into the dressing.
4. Pour the bean salad dressing over the bean mixture and add the parsley. Stir well to combine. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before serving, and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Three Bean Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Medium pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (15 ounce/425g) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce/425g) can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup sliced celery (120g)
- ½ cup chopped red onion (60g)
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar (80mL)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil (80mL)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season it with salt. Cook the green beans for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp yet tender. Drain the green beans in a colander and rinse them under cold water until cool. Let dry.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the green beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, celery, and red onion.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil, starting with a few drops and increasing to a slow stream to emulsify into the dressing.
- Pour the dressing over the bean mixture and add the parsley. Mix well to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Give the salad time to rest before serving. At least 30 minutes, but even longer is better! The more time you give it, the more flavors from the dressing will be absorbed by the beans.
Nutrition
Variations
There are so many ways to make a three bean salad your own! Here are a few ideas that add a creative twist to a classic:
- Mexican-style: Swap the chickpeas for black beans and the green beans for pinto beans. Use fresh cilantro instead of parsley, and corn or crunchy bell pepper instead of celery. Add lime zest and juice to the dressing, too, if desired!
- Mediterranean-style: Use white beans like cannellini beans instead of green beans, and cucumbers instead of celery. Add chopped olives, sprinkle in za’atar, or add chopped fresh mint to taste.
- Southern-style: Simply swap the chickpeas and kidney beans for lima beans and lady peas or black-eyed peas.
- Add cheese: Cubed cheddar, freshly crumbled feta (not the pre-crumbled kind, which is dry and not creamy), and mozzarella pearls all taste fabulous in this salad. Feta and mozzarella are especially delightful if you’re trying the Mediterranean-style variation.
- Use pickled onions: Swap the fresh red onion for pickled red onions for an extra tangy element.
How To Serve
Three bean salad is an ideal cookout side dish for cilantro lime chicken, veggie burgers, and BBQ chicken. It pairs perfectly alongside other summery side dishes like elote and macaroni salad.
It also makes a satisfying lunch option, especially when topped with slices of juicy air fryer chicken breast or perfect air fryer hard-boiled eggs.
Frequently Asked Questions
This easy bean salad recipe tastes even better the next day! So feel free to make it a day in advance. Since it will keep well for up to 5 days, you could really make it 2 to 3 days ahead of time, if you like. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you’ve tried this three bean salad recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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